Uttarakhand

About Uttarakhand

The state is frequently denoted as the Dev Bhumi or Land of God because it houses various religious places and places of worships that are regarded as the most sacred and propitious areas of devotion and pilgrimage. Uttarakhand was created by joining a number of districts from the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh and a portion of the Himalayan Mountain Range. At present, it is the 27th state of the country. The state is mostly famous for its scenic features and affluence of the Himalayas, the Terai, and the Bhabhar. The autonomous territory of Tibet is situated to the north of the state.

The name of the state was formally altered from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand in 2007. Dehradun serves as the provisional capital of the state and it is also the biggest city and railway station in the state. The High Court of Uttarakhand is based in Nainital, another important city in the state. Handicrafts and handlooms are two major industries in the state. The state is also famous for being the origin of the Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan.

Opportunities for tourism are immense in this state, be it nature, wildlife, adventure, and pilgrimage tourism. The major destinations are Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Almora, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, Ranikhet, and Pithoragarh. If you are adventurous and like tough challenges, you can go for high- and low-altitude trekking, river rafting, para gliding, hang-gliding, mountaineering, skiing, and many others.


On the 8th of November 2000, It became a full-fledged state of India with the formal induction of a separate State Government. The State is carved out of the Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest population in India. With this, the people of Uttarakhand have finally achieved their dream of running their own affairs for which they have been fighting for some decades now.

Uttarakhand is situated in the northwest portion of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. It occupies 1.73% of India's total land area with 51,125 sq. km. It has a population of about 6.0 million at 94.4 per sq. km. It borders Tibet, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, and the UP plains districts. Dehra Dun, the state' capital is about 255 km away from India's capital, New Delhi.

13 Districts Comprise Uttarakhand: Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Bageshwar, Champawat, Uttar Kashi, Udham Singh Nagar, Chamoli, Dehra Dun, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Haridwar (Urban).

The region is the melting pot of many ethnic groups and castes. The Jaunsaries, the Bhotias, the Bokshas, the Tharus and the Rajis live side by side in the most cordial manner. Most of the indigenous people are heterodox Hindus and Buddhists, while Sikh migrants from West Punjab have settled in the lowlands since 1947. A few Muslim groups are also native to the area.

The economic viability of the new state is worrying if anything in the present circumstances. Though it is endowed with rich natural resources, it is unable to tap them to its advantages. The result is that about 70% of its population lives under the poverty line as against the national average of 46%. Subsistence agriculture supports about 75% of the population while 71% of the land holdings are less than 1 hectare in size. To put this pathetic state of affairs in perspective, a survey was conducted recently which found that about 80% of the soldiers active at the Kargil front joined the armed forces to escape from the poverty at their home state.

The state also holds out promises of becoming an attractive tourist spot. Already the region is raking in about 250 crores in annual earnings. However this sector is not fully exploited. The state definitely needs to invest in creating ski resorts and modern shooing malls to cater to the needs of the enthusiasts of adventure tourism and upscale tourists.

Another area where the state has to get its act together is the agro industries. Commercial production of fruits, medicinal plants and flowers on the lines of Himachal Pradesh will go a long way in boosting its revenue.

Geography of Uttarakhand

The state covers a total area of 53,566 km² or 20,682 sq miles and is the 18th biggest state in India. Most of the areas of the state are hilly and forested. The distinctive flora and fauna of the state comprise creatures like snow leopards, bharal, tigers, leopards and uncommon shrubs and trees. The Yamuna and the Ganges, two biggest rivers of the Republic of India, have their headwaters in this state. The prominent geographical features of Uttarakhand are as follows:

• Mountainous shrubland and plains
• The alpine bushes and pastures of Western Himalaya
• Moderate coniferous jungles
• Subalpine conifer jungles in the Western Himalaya
• Moderate broadleaf forests of the Western Himalaya
• Subtropical pine forests of the Himalayan mountain range
• Terai-Duar lowlands and savanna
• Humid broadleaf forests of the Upper Gangetic Plains
more...

Tourist Attractions in Uttarakhand
Listed below are the top tourist attractions in Uttarakhand:

Uttarakhand Travel Map

National Parks

• Valley of Flowers National Park (Chamoli District)
• Nanda Devi National Park (Chamoli District)
• Jim Corbett National Park at Ramnagar, Nainital District. It is the first national park in the country.
• Rajaji National Park (Haridwar District)
• Gangotri National Park (Uttarkashi District)
• Govind Pashu Vihar National Park (Uttarkashi District)

The Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park are jointly regarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hill stations

• Mussoorie
• Nainital
• Kausani
• Almora
• Ranikhet
• Bhimtal

Religious places

• Char Dham (comprising Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath)
• Haridwar (famous for the Kumbh Mela)
• Rishikesh (known as the yoga hub of India)
• Jageshwar (famous for historic temples)
• Hemkund (Sikh pilgrimage spot)

It has constantly been a spot for trekking, rock climbing, and hiking in the country. Of late, adventures sports and white water rafting have gained significant popularity. Agritourism, ecotourism, and rural tourism are other popular forms of tourism in various rural and forested areas in the state. more...

Government and Politics in Uttarakhand

Currently, the Chief Minister of the state is Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). Dr. Pokhriyal is the fifth Chief Minister of the state and he was nominated in 2009.Uttarakhand government is devoted whole-heartedly towards the betterment of this new Indian state formed as late as in 2000. Uttarakhand government is comprised of an extremely efficient legislature, backed by an equally committed judiciary and executive. Presently, the state legislative functions under the governorship of Mr. Sudershan Agarwal, a social worker and a scholar of great renown. All the functions of Uttarakhand government are based primarily in Dehradun of Garhwal division, the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand. more...

Districts in Uttarakhand
The picturesque state of Uttaranchal is made up of 13 districts and they are broadly categorized into two divisions:

Uttarakhand District Map

Garhwal Division

• Haridwar
• Dehradun
• Uttarkashi
• Tehri Garhwal
• Pauri Garhwal (popularly named as Garhwal)
• Chamoli
• Rudraprayag

Kumaon division

• Bageshwar
• Almora
• Nainital
• Champawat
• Udham Singh Nagar
• Pithoragarh

Hotels of Uttarakhand

The State has hotels of star and non star category catering to the needs of the tourists visiting Uttarakhand. Besides it has resorts, restaurants and cafes which cater to the needs of all segment of travelers.

Bordered by the Himalayan Mountain Ranges to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the south, Nepal to the east, and Himachal Pradesh and Haryana to the northwest and west, Uttaranchal or Uttarakhand is one of the important states in Northern India. more...



Airports in Uttarakhand

The state houses the following airports and heliports:

• Pantnagar Airport (Pantnagar)
• Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun)
• Uttarkashi
• Naini-Saini (Pithoragarh)
• Agastyamuni (Rudraprayag) (Heliport)
• Gochar (Chamoli)

Last Updated on: 05/13/2013